The Big Hitters Of The K-pop Industry Crack Down On Malicious Commenters

Credit: BigHit Entertainment, JYP Entertainment
Credit: BigHit Entertainment, JYP Entertainment

This past week, two of K-pop’s biggest labels, BigHit Entertainment and JYP Entertainment, both released official statements with updates on legal action taken against malicious commenters.

BigHit Entertainment announced through an official statement posted on BTS’s Weverse that the maximum possible sentence was levied on the perpetrator of malicious internet postings. Previously, the label filed three separate criminal �complaints against the individual. For all three complaints, the perpetrator was also fined 4 million won.

Read BigHit’s full statement here:

“Hello,

This is Big Hit Entertainment. �

Big Hit regularly initiates legal proceedings against perpetrators of malicious activities related to BTS, including ill-intentioned criticism, the spread of groundless information, sexual harassment, personal attacks and defamation. We would like to provide an update on these activities. �

Recently, the maximum possible sentence was levied on the perpetrator of malicious internet postings against whom we had filed three separate criminal �complaints for defamation. On July 30 and September 1, 2020, the Seoul Eastern District Court sentenced the perpetrator, who had engaged in repeated defamatory activities, to four million KRW in total fines for all three cases, including a maximum sentence allowable by law. Public defamation carries a sentence of up to one year in prison or two million won in fines, highlighting the seriousness of the sentences passed down by the court for this case.

We are filing additional criminal complaints to individuals who continue to operate internet accounts and make malicious postings even after being questioned by the police for initial investigation. If these perpetrators continue to engage in criminal activities after a court sentence, we plan to file for damages in civil court and there will be no settlement or leniency. In addition, please note that we are providing law enforcement with postings that make light of police investigations or spread false information about these legal proceedings.

We have recently filed additional criminal complaints using new information provided by fans as well as collected through our monitoring initiatives. Big Hit will continue to collect information on malicious postings regarding BTS, report them to the authorities and file criminal complaints. �We ask that you make continued use of our hotline ([email protected]) to report any cases of abuse.

We are always grateful for the affection and dedication shown by our fans to BTS. We will continue to work to ensure that the rights of our artists are fully protected.

Thank you.”

JYP Entertainment revealed that three individuals were sentenced to a total fine of 11 million won for violating the ‘Act on Promotion of Information and Communication Network Utilization and Information Protection.’

Read the company’s full statement here:

“Hello. This is �JYP �Entertainment.

Our company has informed you multiple times about taking legal action against issues that could cause both direct and indirect damage upon the members of TWICE, �JYP �Entertainment’s artists, such as spreading false rumors and posting malicious slander. Every possible legal action against these issues �is being handled �in collaboration with �a professional law firm.

Regarding this information, we �inform �you that three �individuals �A, B, and C, who have posted malicious slander and spread false rumors, have each been sentenced to a fine of 3,000,000 won, 3,000,000 won, and 5,000,000 won for Act on Promotion of Information and Communication Network Utilization and Information Protection(defamation). Among these �individuals, A �had been subjected �to suspension of prosecution last year with violation of the same law and yet repeatedly wrote malicious posts afterward; therefore, A �was sentenced �to a fine early this year after taking a measure.

Including all incidents above, we announce for all cases that are in the process of criminal prosecution and accusation, we are �continuously investigating and have taken actions with the highest level of legal action, including civil case. For this, we are monitoring all processes internally and systemizing evidence collection �in collaboration with �a professional law firm. � �

All actions have the possibility of causing critical damage on all rights, including the artists’ personal rights �and their mental damage. We are aware of the damage cases that are expanding due to these actions and are hugely concerned with the seriousness.

Therefore, for artists’ healthy activity and protection of their mentality, we will never look idly on all the cases. We announce again of our �desire �to show absolutely no leniency on our continuous expansion of legal actions.

We ask for fans’ active reports. We also ask for your caution for unnecessary damage due to these cases not to �recur. �

Thank you.”

Source (1, 2)

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